Determining how susceptible to suggestibility a patient is prior to being hypnotized is an important factor to discover what depth of trance he will achieve while under hypnosis. These are important tests to carry out and should be given to all new patients as part of the first hypnotherapy session. The purpose of suggestibility tests is to see if the patient has an analytical or non-analytical mind.
Instructions
1. Perform suggestibility tests in a casual, relaxing manner in a quiet room. Ask the patient to sit comfortably in a chair and clear his mind. Ask him to turn the palms of both his hands upwards and relax.
2. Ask the patient to imagine a large, square box. The box is set on the floor in a small room with no furniture. Ask her to tell you what color the box is painted. The patient who answers with a color, has a non-analytical mind and is open to suggestion. If the patient can't imagine a color, she has an analytical mind, as she doesn't wish to take part in guided imagery. This makes the latter subject closed to the majority of suggestions, although with different techniques this patient can undergo trance.
3. Instruct the patient to imagine a large pile of heavy books on his left palm, and a helium balloon attached to his right hand. Tell the patient that the helium balloon is rising up with his hand attached to the string and to allow his right hand to drift upward with the balloon. Observe the patient’s hand to see if it is rising. Allow the patient to elevate his right hand as far as possible as you make suggestions that the helium balloon is rising high. If the patient’s arm rises to your suggestions, he most likely has a non-analytical mind and is a good candidate for hypnosis. Little or no reaction to your suggestions would indicate that your patient has an analytical mind and this may call for more in-depth induction techniques for him to go into trance.
4. Ask the patient to stand with feet slightly apart, arms outstretched sideways to shoulder level, and to close her eyes. Tell her that there is a weight attached to her left wrist and it is getting heavier and heavier with every second that goes by. Tell her to try to resist the weight by keeping her arm outstretched; after a minute or two, tell the patient not to resist the weight anymore and to allow her arm to be pulled down by her side. If the patient does everything per your instructions; she has a non-analytical mind.
Tags: non-analytical mind, helium balloon, patient imagine, right hand, analytical mind